Replacement or repair strap for extension cord and harness assembly



Sept. 20, 1966 E. w. ZURKOWSKI REPLACEMENT OB REPAIR STRAP FOR EXTENSION CORD AND HARNESS ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 13, 1964 m .m MM Tu M2 VW M E HIS ATTORNEY Sept. 20, 1966 E. w. ZURKOWSKI 3,273,213

REPLACEMENT OH REPAIR STRAP FOR EXTENSION CORD AND HARNESS ASSEMBLY Filed April 13, 1964 2 SheetsSheet 2 IN V EN TOR. [ownea W Zl/EKO WSKI HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,273,213 REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR STRAP FOR EXTEN- SION CORD AND HARNESS ASSEMBLY Edward W. Zurkowski, Stamford, Conn., assignor to Electrolux Corporation, Old Greenwich, Conn., a

corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 359,060 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-73) This invention relates to an extension cord and harness assembly of the type disclosed in US. Patent application Serial No. 358,997, filed on April 13, 1964, simultaneously with the filing of this patent application.

In particular, there is provided by the present invention a strap which is intended as a replacement or repair strap for broken or damaged straps of the extension cord and harness assembly of the type disclosed in patent application Serial No. 358,997.

In patent application Serial No. 358,997, an electric extension cord passes through a number of apertured spaced-apart straps which constitute the harness portion of the assembly. Each strap, having a button and buttonhole formed in its end sections, lies crosswise of the extension cords length. Such an extension cord and harness assembly is especially useful where it is desired to support an electric extension cord on the outside of a vacuum cleaner suction hose so that the cord can extend lengthwise from one end of the suction hose to the other. In so supporting the extension cord, each strap is wrapped around the hoses periphery and buttoned so that the extension cord is tightly secured along the hose. The suction hose having the extension cord harnessed thereto is especially useful in simultaneously vacuuming and brushing carpets and rugs, especially those made from synthetic materials. In such an arrangement the hose applies suction, created in the vacuum cleaner tank unit, to a carpet cleaning nozzle, while the electric cord conducts electricity from the tank unit to a motor, which, to-

gether with a carpet-agitating brush rotated by the motor,

is located in the cleaning nozzle. The combined suction and brushing actions do a more thorough cleaning job. Moreover, the rotating brush fluifs the nap, giving the carpet surface a neat appearance.

The extension cord of the above-mentioned assembly has connectors at each end thereof; for example, a male plug at one end and a receptacle at the other end. Therefore, in the event that one or more of the straps through which the cord is passed should become broken or damaged, it would not be possible to substitute for the damaged strap the same kind of strap without first removing at least one of the end connectors from the extension cord.

Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide a replacement or repair strap for the harness portion of an extension cord and harness assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a repair or replacement strap which can be used to secure an extension cord to a vacuum cleaner suction hose without the necessity of first removing one of the cords end connectors.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a repair or replacement strap for the harness portion of an extension cord and harness assembly; the repair strap so provided being adapted for being coupled with the extension cord and helping to secure it to the vacuum cleaner suction hose without the necessity of first removing the cord and harness assembly from the suction hose.

Briefly, in accordance with one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a repair or replacement strap in which there are formed in opposite ends thereof a button and buttonhole, respectively. Be-

3,273,213 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 tween the ends of the strap there is an enlarged portion through which there is provided a cylindrical aperture extending crosswise of the straps length. Also, a slit, or narrow slot, is formed in the enlarged portion. This slit, or slot, like the aperture extends crosswise of the straps length and is contiguous with, or in communication with, the aperture. By an easily executed manipulation of the strap the cylindrical aperture and its communicating slit can be made to assume the shape of an open trough in order for them to receive the extension cord. After the cord has been received in the trough, the strap resumes its initial shape so that the cylindrical aperture substantially encircles the extension cord. Thereafter, the strap can be wrapped around the suction hose of a vacuum cleaner and buttoned, thereby securing the extension cord to the outisde of the suction hose.

According to another embodiment of the present invention there is combined with the aforementioned strap a buckle-like retainer for ensuring the security of the strap to the extension cord.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which;

FIG. 1 is a view of a vacuum cleaning apparatus having an extension cord and harness assembly incorporating the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the replacement or repair strap provided by the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows an extension cord being strapped to a vacuum cleaner suction hose with the strap of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the strap of FIG. 2 employing a buckle-like retainer for positively securing the strap to an electric extension cord;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the buckle-like retainer employed in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an illustration showing how the strap of FIG. 2 may be manipulated to fasten an extension cord to a vacuum cleaner suction hose;

FIG. 7 is an illustration showing how the strap assembly shown at FIG. 4 may be manipulated to fasten an extension cord to an outside of a vacuum cleaner suction hose; and

FIG. 8 is an illustration showing the strap assembly of FIG. 4 securing an electric extension cord to a suction hose.

The extension cord and harness assembly disclosed in patent application Serial No. 358,997 is, as is the arrangement shown in FIG. I, intended for conducting electricity from a suitable receptacle 23, on a vacuum cleaner tank unit 24, along the outside of a suction hose 26 to another extension cord 28, incorporated in a rigid hollow wand 38 so that a brush-rotating motor 32, located in a surface cleaning nozzle 34, can be electrically energized. Advantageously, suction created in the tank unit 24 is applied to the surface cleaning nozzle 34 through the serially coupled hose 26, its rigid hollow handle 27 and the hollow wand 30. Simultaneously, the motor 32, being electrically energized through the extension cords 10 and 28, drives a rotary brush 36. Rotation of the brush 36 dislodges dirt and dust from the surface being cleaned, such as a carpet, and the dislodged matter is then drawn away through the wand 30 and suction hose 26 and deposited in a suitable dust bag located in the tank unit 24. At opposite ends of the extension cord 10 are a male plug (not shown), which is adapted for connection with the receptacle 23, and a receptacle 14, which is adapted to receive another male plug (not shown), connected to one end of the extension cord 28.

The harness portion of the assembly shown at FIG. l,

and disclosed in detail in patent application Serial No. 358,997, is comprised of the plurality of straps 16. Each strap 16 has, as illustrated at FIG. 3, an enlarged portion 21 with an aperture therethrough through which the extension cord 10 passes. Also, at opposite ends of the strap 16 there is formed a button 18 and a buttonhole 20. When the strap 16 is wrapped about the suction hose 26 and buttoned, as shown, the cord 10 is secured along the outside of the hose 26. In assembling the extension cord 10 and the straps 16 to achieve the cord and harness assembly disclosed in the aforementioned patent application, one of the extension cords and connectors, receptacle 14, for example, is not attached to the cord until after the cord 10 is threaded through every one of the strap apertures. Thereafter, the cord and harness assembly is strapped to the suction hose 26 to provide the arrangement shown at FIG. 1.

In the event that one of the straps 16, shown in FIG. 1, becomes broken or damaged, it may be removed and replaced by the repair or replacement strap 40 shown in FIG. 2 or, in the alternative, by the assembly of the strap 40 and buckle-like retainer 52 shown in FIG. 4. When one of the straps 16 becomes broken or damaged it may be severed with scissors, a razor or like implement from the extension cord 10; or those portions of the strap 16 on both sides of the enlarged portion 21 may be severed and the replacement strap 40 may be attached to the extension cord 10 adjacent to the severed portion of the damaged strap. As will be more fully appreciated from the discussion hereinafter appearing whether the strap 40 is used alone or together with the buckle-like retainer 52 the necessary replacement can be performed without the necessity of detaching the cord and harness assembly from the suction hose 26 and without the necessity of detaching either of the end connectors from the extension cord 10.

As shown at FIG. 2 the replacement strap 10 has a button 42 formed in one end thereof and a buttonhole, or slot, 44 formed in its opposite end. Between the ends of the strap there is formed an enlarged portion 46 through which a generally cylindrical aperture 48 passes. As shown, the wall of the enlarged portion 46 has a slit, or narrow slot, 50 formed therein. This slit extends in the same direction as the cylindrical aperture 48 and moreover it is contiguous with the aperture 48; i.e., the slit communicates with the aperture. As a result, the strap 40 may be temporarily deformed in the manner illustrated at FIG. 6 so that the extension cord 10' can pass through the widened slit area 50 into the aperture 48 which has been deformed to assume a generally troughlike recess. After the cord 10 has entered this recess and the deformation of the strap 40 has been relaxed, the walls of the enlarged portion 46 resume their initial shape as shown at FIG. 3, whereby the cord 10 is situated within the again generally cylindrical aperture 48; the slit 50 having closed to a minimum width dimension. Thereafter, as illustrated, the strap 40 is wrapped about the periphery of the hose and buttoned and that part of the enlarged portion 46 at which the slit 50 is situated is in abutment with the surface of the suction hose 26 so that the cord 10 cannot slip out of the aperture 48 through the slit 50.

Instead of just using the strap 40 alone in the manner hereinbefore described, an additional measure of security may be provided for retaining the extension cord 18 within the aperture 48 by employing a buckle-like retainer 52 (FIG. passed over both ends of the strap 40 after the cord has been passed through the slit 58 and nested in the aperture As indicated at FIG. 7, the retainer 52 is 6 48. Thereafter the opposing ends of the strap 40 are oppositely tensioned to achieve the arrangement shown at FIG 4. Subsequently, the strap 40 is wrapped about the suction hose, as shown at FIG. 8, and buttoned, thereby securing the cord on the outside of the suction hose.

The strap 40 may be molded from a soft vinyl plastic material which has a certain degree of elasticity. For example, one successfully used material is molded vinyl plastic having a durometer measured hardness of from to 70, measured on the Shore scale A. However, many other synthetic or natural materials, such as molded polyethylene or rubber may be used if desired. Many materials are suitable for forming the retainer member 52, for example, a somewhat resilient plastic material, such as an acetal resin material.

While there is shown and described more than one embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that this has been done for purposes of illustration only and the scope of the invention is not to be limited thereby, but is to be determined from the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A strap of elastic material adapted for supporting a length of an electric extension cord along the outer surface of a hose, said strap having inner and outer oppositely disposed surfaces arranged in back-to-back relation, said inner surface of the strap being adapted to contact the outer surface of the hose when said strap encompasses the hose, said strap having an enlarged portion intermediate its opposite ends, said enlarged portion having an aperture passing therethrough in a direction cross wise of the length of the strap, said strap having a slit therein which defines a narrow opening extending crosswise of the length of the strap and also extending from the inner surface of the strap into the aperture in said enlarged portion, said strap being temporarily deformable at said enlarged portion to cause said narrow opening to widen so that the cord may be passed through the widened narrow opening into said aperture and encompassed by said enlarged portion with said cord extending crosswise of the length of the strap, and an apertured retaining member for maintaining said cord encompassed by said enlarged portion, said enlarged portion of the strap protruding through the aperture in the retaining member with said retaining member contacting the outer surface of the strap on opposite sides of said enlarged portion as well as contacting the side of the electric cord which is closest to the inner surface of the strap, said strap including means for fastening it in encompassing relation with the outer surface of the hose.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,057,156 3/1913 LaWnin 24-17 1,686,678 10/1928 Burke.

2,144,872 1/1939 Cruser 17495 2,292,140 8/1942 Lofgren 24-130 2,723,431 11/ 1955 Di Renzo 2473 3,088,702 5/1963 Orenick et al 24-16 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,207,065 8/1959 France.

23,563 1896 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. E. SIMONSEN, Assistant Examiner. 

